A much paler novel than Murdoch can be at her best (as in The sea, the sea). The characters seemed to be inhabiting some earlier decade and I'm ultimately as confused as the character Clement as to how far the comparisons go to the resetting of the legend of Gawain and the Green Knight. The mysterious Peter Mirs manages to be an entrancing character and Anax the collie was heart-stealing in a non-Lassie way. Read it for the dog isn't a great recommendation, though.